1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a pick-up head for lifting material from the ground. In agricultural applications, the pick-up head may be utilized on a merger where the pick-up head may lift material, such as crops, from a field and then transfer the material to a conveyer. The conveyer may then shift the material laterally to form a windrow that can later be picked up.
2. Description of the Related Art
In related art, pick-up heads may include a plurality of radially extending pick-up teeth. Pick-up guards may be provided between the pick-up teeth along a lateral direction of the pick-up heads to help guide material up and over the pick-up head towards a conveyer. However, in the manufacturing of large agricultural equipment, it is common for parts and components to be designed with a certain amount of tolerance to allow components to interact and prevent unwanted interference.
FIG. 1 shows a pick-up head 100 in the related art comprising a plurality of pick-up teeth 110 that are supported on tine bars 120. The pick-up teeth 110 extend radially from a center of the pick-up head 100 and are arranged along a lateral direction of the pickup head 100. A plurality of guards 130 are provided between the pick-up teeth along the lateral direction. In operation, a small amount of material may traverse a length of the pick-up teeth 110 and travel between the guards 130. The material may then wrap around an inner portion 140 of the pick-up head 100 to form a build-up of material 150. In particular, as shown in FIG. 2, support ends 160 of the inner portion 140 are especially problematic with the build-up of material 150 in the related art.
While a small amount of material wound up around the pick-up head 100 does not necessarily create a problem, over time a continued build-up of material 150 may impair rotation of the pick-up head 100, cause damage to the equipment, or increase fuel/energy consumption of the equipment. To address the issue of build-up in the related art, frequent cleaning, service, and maintenance is required. As a result, increased time, labor, and cost are associated with the pick-up heads 100 in the related art.